TRADE ROUTES BY SEA

This map shows the trade routes by sea. It shows the importance of the
monsoon winds that moved the sailing ships across the Indian Ocean. In
the winter the winds blew to the southwest bringing the ships down the
coast of East Africa. In the summer the winds reversed direction and went
northeast bringing the ships up to Arabian and India. From African coast
the traders picked up wood for buildings, ivory, ostrich feathers, and
even slaves. The trading network was vast, and goods from China even were
brought to the east coast of Africa by the Arab traders, and later by
the treasure ships of Zheng He from Ming dynasty China.

(source: Baobab Narratives, Harvard Univ.)

A medieval map showing the trade routes from the Arabian
peninsula to India. (Source : Arabnet)

Saharan traveler, reminiscent of Ibn Battuta

Source : The
Catalan Atlas, National Library of France, Paris. It was completed
in 1375.